Great men and contrasts....

[NCGhostrider]

I started to post this in another thread, but didn't want to hijack it.

 I am fortunate, my dad is still alive, and a great man.   He did not join the service, his brothers did, and he was told to stay home.    He has taught me a lot things, mostly respect and honor.  We lead from the back more often than from the front.  We have a history of that it seems...used to bother me, but now, I see why and appreciate what it means.   I digress however!!!

I am fortunate to know some great people.  The thread about "Our Fathers" also reminded me of one person in particular I know.  A man named Luther Prunty.  He is probably one of the last, if not the last surviving member of the "Lost Battalion" of Texas.    He was a POW, and was forced to build the "Railroad of Death."

He will be 100 in January.  Do a web search, his name will pop up.   I see him often, sometimes daily, he and his wife are wonderful people. 

Yesterday, I was in one of our local restaurants, sitting near the front door, couldn't help overhearing a young punk (and he was that), early 20's, obviously impaired from external means (besides alcohol), bragging about his latest quest, to get a tattoo of a soldier in a compromising situation (tatoos I have no problem with).   His companions urging him to straighten up, asking him if he had been saving his money to buy a car, his response less than promising.  BTW, I couldn't help but overhear all this, in fact, no way to miss it.

I see Luther coming in, and couldn't help but think, air was being wasted by one, and earned by the other so he is able to waste it.  A man that gave his life for his country, happened to survive, yet,  was told he would not.  He ate bugs and ???? to keep going, and then someone who has had it all handed to him, and appreciates nothing.   

I am not sure why, but it bothered me deeply.   It caused me to reflect, be thankful.  I actually remember some of the others from Luther's lost soldiers.  They died years ago, my dad always told me to treat them with respect.   The old men would come into his shop to hang out, it seems he had earned their respect as well.  I always enjoyed their stories.

I still hang out with the older crowd, twice my age in the local coffee shop (and now I am considered old by some).  Their eyes glisten with memories good and bad.  Sometimes I hear the same stories again.  But that is how history and culture used to be handed down... 

just some reflections I had this evening,

Craig
NcGhostrider
99 I/S 
 

[sugerbear]

i wonder what kids like that would do if we reinstated the "draft"

[old2soon]

i wonder what kids like that would do if we reinstated the "draft"

  Some would definitely soil their Dr Dentons.   Craig sounds ta me like you got a good outlook on things. I see some of these teens and early 20s still not offin their mamas teat and i wonder?? Well we know we got a lot of good uns-they be over in the sandbox. One way or another it all seems to work out by and by. And that be a good thing. RIDE SAFE.

[Momz]

My father was in the german army during WWII when he said he had enough of the atrocities and devious practices that were forced on the German people by Hitlers regime. He allowed himself to be captured and sent to a POW camp. Through the Red Cross he was able to be reunited with uncles in both the US and Canada.

He came here, met my mom, married and had two sons. Both my parents became US Citizens ASAP.
They always taught us to learn world history and politics, but the greatest lesson was to never take things at face value. Their lesson was to "Always Question Authority". 

[NCGhostrider]

I can appreciate the questioning authority completely.  We the fine Americans is a scary thought!   What happened in Deutschland could happen again in the right circumstances. 

BTW, I was fortunate to study extensively under two professors at a couple of universities here in TX.   Both of them left Germany in ways similar to your father.   

Most of my peers at the time didn't understand my love for history and language when I was in school.   I still love both.  My family came from Germany, and I actually completed studies in German language, and history.   That was eons ago now, I made my living in technology for the most part, and now work in the oilfield.    When I get too old to be outside, I will teach!!! 

Craig
NcGhostrider
99 I/S

[John Schmidt]

Craig, your post reminds me of the old gent(Louie) that lives across the street. He's 93, soon to be 94, is twenty years my senior but those years are so full of history. He has a hard time hearing and seeing now but still loves to sit and chat about the "war years."  Some stuff he won't talk about, too disturbing after all these years. But other stuff he'll talk about with a twinkle in his eye, often adding "don't tell Mary"....his wife of well over 60 years.  I keep his trike in good operating condition, and he often rides over to "supervise" when I'm working on the bike or cars. He loves to tell about the time he and a couple guys from the Italian army got drunk while his outfit was in Italy. Louie is as Italian as they come. He tells about how they woke up the next morning, the Italians staggering off down the road using their weapons as canes. The three had spent the night together in Louie's foxhole.

[R J]

i wonder what kids like that would do if we reinstated the "draft"

Most of them would head back to Mexico.

[solo1]

Craig, like John, your story reminded me of my long time neighbor, Bill.
Bill was a paratrooper in WWII.  He's three years older than I and a staunch Democrat.

We got in many discussions about politics but we always respected each other. He raised four kids, the same as I. His wife died four years after mine.   Now he lives alone, same as I.  However, since I moved, I don't see him as much but we keep in touch.

What's the point here?  I am gratified that I know him.  I'm also gratified about something else.

Bill broke his hip a few months ago. None of his family live close.  My son, Mark, and his girl friend, Twila, have been helping. They bring him meals and Twila has been giving him injections prescribed by his doctor.  My other son, Chris, across the street, plows his driveway in the winter just as I did.

I'm gratified that I'm seeing proof that the wife and I raised our kids right!  They were taught responsibility and respect for themselves and others and it shows.

The fact that all my sons ride is a bonus,  There, motorcycle related!

[BigAl]

Canada rings a bell'

[Stanley Steamer]

Craig, like John, your story reminded me of my long time neighbor, Bill.
Bill was a paratrooper in WWII.  He's three years older than I and a staunch Democrat.

We got in many discussions about politics but we always respected each other. He raised four kids, the same as I. His wife died four years after mine.   Now he lives alone, same as I.  However, since I moved, I don't see him as much but we keep in touch.

What's the point here?  I am gratified that I know him.  I'm also gratified about something else.

Bill broke his hip a few months ago. None of his family live close.  My son, Mark, and his girl friend, Twila, have been helping. They bring him meals and Twila has been giving him injections prescribed by his doctor.  My other son, Chris, across the street, plows his driveway in the winter just as I did.

I'm gratified that I'm seeing proof that the wife and I raised our kids right!  They were taught responsibility and respect for themselves and others and it shows.

The fact that all my sons ride is a bonus,  There, motorcycle related!

 

[shortleg]

  It all comes down to two things.
  Time spent
   Lessons learned.
  This is something that I was told by my Grandmother
when it came to my time spent with my elders.
   The most valuable thing we have is time.Time spent
for others is spent well.
    Lessons learned from others are lessons learned
                 Shortleg[Dave]

[Skinhead]

Craig, like John, your story reminded me of my long time neighbor, Bill.
Bill was a paratrooper in WWII.  He's three years older than I and a staunch Democrat.

We got in many discussions about politics but we always respected each other. He raised four kids, the same as I. His wife died four years after mine.   Now he lives alone, same as I.  However, since I moved, I don't see him as much but we keep in touch.

What's the point here?  I am gratified that I know him.  I'm also gratified about something else.

Bill broke his hip a few months ago. None of his family live close.  My son, Mark, and his girl friend, Twila, have been helping. They bring him meals and Twila has been giving him injections prescribed by his doctor.  My other son, Chris, across the street, plows his driveway in the winter just as I did.

I'm gratified that I'm seeing proof that the wife and I raised our kids right!  They were taught responsibility and respect for themselves and others and it shows.

The fact that all my sons ride is a bonus,  There, motorcycle related!

Good job, Wayne.

[czuch]

11-11-11. That will be Veteran's day. If you're close to a VFW or American Legion, ring the door bell and cruise in.
There should be a table there, with a single setting for dinner. Thats the "Missing Man" setting.
Set a shot at that table and say a prayer.
Wouldnt hurt to drop a twenty on the bar and shout out a few pitchers for the folks too.
Not just talkin here, I do it every Veteran's day.